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Michael F. Easley
Governor
State of North Carolina
Office of the Governor
Governor's Press Office
State Capitol, Raleigh, NC 27603-8001
(919) 733-5612 - Toll Free 1-800-662-7005
FAX (919) 733-5166
For Release: IMMEDIATE Contact: Cari Boyce
Date: August 13, 2005 Phone: 919/733-5612
GOV. EASLEY SIGNS 2005-07 BUDGET AGREEMENT
Compromise Falls Below Adjusted Spending Cap; Funds Education, Health Care and Job Creation
RALEIGH -- Gov. Mike Easley today signed into law North Carolina’s biennial budget for the next two years. The $17.2 billion plan was approved by the General Assembly on August 11. Not only was the plan below the Governor’s spending cap, the measure also provides substantial new resources for education, provides Medicaid access for our most vulnerable citizens and includes new resources for job creation. The plan will set aside $200 million for the rainy day fund and provide $125 million in repair and renovation funding, in addition to leaving $500 million available for next year.
“North Carolina’s General Assembly has worked hard to pass a budget, and I commend them for their efforts,” said Easley. “It is one of the best education budgets I have seen. It reforms our high schools to improve the graduation rate, continues to invest in early childhood education, smaller class sizes and teacher pay.
“This is the first time the plan for low wealth schools has been so significantly funded,” said Easley. “This legislature is taking seriously the constitutional right for every child to have a quality education regardless of where they live in this state.”
The legislature approved Easley’s proposed budget request for education spending including full funding of enrollment growth at all levels; $42.5 million in funding for low wealth and disadvantaged schools; high school reform efforts including Learn and Earn and specialty high schools; funding for 100 child and family teams in schools; and full funding to expand More at Four to 15,000 children.
The budget bill gives additional authority to the Governor to develop a plan to increase teacher pay to the national average. Overall, the budget signed today provides almost $500 million more in state dollars for education at all levels than the 2004-05 budget. In addition, it also includes new accountability measures for education resources.
“Better education is not just about money, it is also about getting the accountability for every dollar sent to every school,” said Easley.
The 2005-07 budget also contains resources for successful economic development tools such as the state’s One North Carolina Fund and the Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) program. Combined, since 2001, these programs are responsible for nearly 30,000 jobs and $3.9 billion in investment in the state.

Michael F. Easley
Governor
State of North Carolina
Office of the Governor
Governor's Press Office
State Capitol, Raleigh, NC 27603-8001
(919) 733-5612 - Toll Free 1-800-662-7005
FAX (919) 733-5166
For Release: IMMEDIATE Contact: Cari Boyce
Date: August 13, 2005 Phone: 919/733-5612
GOV. EASLEY SIGNS 2005-07 BUDGET AGREEMENT
Compromise Falls Below Adjusted Spending Cap; Funds Education, Health Care and Job Creation
RALEIGH -- Gov. Mike Easley today signed into law North Carolina’s biennial budget for the next two years. The $17.2 billion plan was approved by the General Assembly on August 11. Not only was the plan below the Governor’s spending cap, the measure also provides substantial new resources for education, provides Medicaid access for our most vulnerable citizens and includes new resources for job creation. The plan will set aside $200 million for the rainy day fund and provide $125 million in repair and renovation funding, in addition to leaving $500 million available for next year.
“North Carolina’s General Assembly has worked hard to pass a budget, and I commend them for their efforts,” said Easley. “It is one of the best education budgets I have seen. It reforms our high schools to improve the graduation rate, continues to invest in early childhood education, smaller class sizes and teacher pay.
“This is the first time the plan for low wealth schools has been so significantly funded,” said Easley. “This legislature is taking seriously the constitutional right for every child to have a quality education regardless of where they live in this state.”
The legislature approved Easley’s proposed budget request for education spending including full funding of enrollment growth at all levels; $42.5 million in funding for low wealth and disadvantaged schools; high school reform efforts including Learn and Earn and specialty high schools; funding for 100 child and family teams in schools; and full funding to expand More at Four to 15,000 children.
The budget bill gives additional authority to the Governor to develop a plan to increase teacher pay to the national average. Overall, the budget signed today provides almost $500 million more in state dollars for education at all levels than the 2004-05 budget. In addition, it also includes new accountability measures for education resources.
“Better education is not just about money, it is also about getting the accountability for every dollar sent to every school,” said Easley.
The 2005-07 budget also contains resources for successful economic development tools such as the state’s One North Carolina Fund and the Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) program. Combined, since 2001, these programs are responsible for nearly 30,000 jobs and $3.9 billion in investment in the state.